Michael Lorenzen's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The New York Yankees have checked in on free-agent right-hander Michael Lorenzen. The Chicago White Sox, who just traded ace Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night, are another team in play for Lorenzen. Chicago also just moved righty Michael Kopech to the bullpen. The Yankees are going to be without reigning American League Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole (elbow) for at least one to two months and potentially longer to open the 2024 regular season, so they could certainly use some rotation help. The 32-year-old Lorenzen tossed a no-hitter in 2023 after being traded from the Tigers to the Phillies, but he ultimately had a 5.51 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 11 appearances (seven starts) for the Phils and ended the year out of the rotation in the postseason. Lorenzen's low strikeout numbers don't make him very attractive for fantasy, which would especially be the case if he landed in the Bronx.

The New York Mets have recently checked in on free-agent starting pitchers, including right-hander Michael Lorenzen, according to league sources. However, the communication likely reflects a desire to stay connected if they have another injury rather than imminent, serious interest. New York's top starter, Kodai Senga, has already been shut down for three weeks due to a strain in the back of his shoulder. FanGraphs projects the Mets to have the sixth-worst rotation in the majors, so adding more pitching depth would be a good idea. They are banking on a bounce-back from Luis Severino and steps forward from Sean Manaea and Tylor Megill. Other options to beef up the rotation besides Lorenzen include lefties Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and righty Mike Clevinger.

There are reportedly still a handful of teams interested in signing free-agent pitcher Michael Lorenzen. The veteran is one of the better free-agent arms remaining on the market as he can pitch as a starter or out of the bullpen, both of which he did last season. Lorenzen posted a 3.58 ERA across 18 starts with the Tigers last season, earning his first career All-Star appearance in the process. He was then traded to the Phillies at the trade deadline, and while he threw his first career no-hitter in August, he also struggled to a 5.51 ERA with the Phils, making his final four appearances out of the bullpen. The 32-year-old owns a career 4.11 ERA in 342 big-league appearances (69 starts) and 724 innings of work.

Free-agent right-hander Michael Lorenzen is receiving interest from the Baltimore Orioles as the club remains active in the starting pitching market. Lorenzen split the 2023 season between the Tigers and Phillies, making his first career All-Star appearance. He worked to a solid 3.58 ERA in 18 starts with the Tigers but struggled to a 5.51 ERA in 11 outings (seven starts) following a trade-deadline deal to the Phillies. However, he threw his first-career no-hitter as a member of the Phillies on Aug. 9 against the Washington Nationals. He was demoted to the bullpen for his final four regular-season appearances and was left off of the Phillies' Wild Card roster before making two postseason appearances across the NLDS and NLCS. The 32-year-old sports a career 4.11 ERA in 342 appearances (69 starts) and recently held a showcase for 16 MLB teams on Jan. 23.

Free-agent right-handers Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen threw bullpen sessions for around 16 MLB teams in California on Tuesday, according to sources. Both players were impressive, with Syndergaard consistently sitting at 93-95 mph. Syndergaard, 31, had a rough 6.50 ERA in 88 2/3 innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians in 2023 and is a candidate to receive a one-year, prove-it deal. He's drawing interest from the Pittsburgh Pirates, among others. Lorenzen, 32, had a 3.58 ERA in 105 2/3 innings with the Detroit Tigers last year and threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies after being traded to the National League, but he had a 5.51 ERA in 11 games (seven starts) for the Phils and was moved to the bullpen late in the season.